Man. Machine. Environment. FUTURE Interactive determination of physical performance and motor hazards
Older people have a very high risk of falling. The risk of tumbling at least once a year is 35 % for over 65-year-olds, and approximately 50 % for 80-year-olds. In half of the cases of a person falling, they end up injured; one out of 20 suffers a fracture. In addition, 40 % of the crash-related injuries trigger long-term inpatient nursing care. The individual crash risk of a person is determined by several factors. One of them is, according to studies, the muscle weakness or the diminished hand force of the dominant hand. A declining hand force thus leads to an increasing risk of falling. Building up the muscle strength of the hand is thus a sensible measure to prevent falls. Technical assistance systems are available for this to supplement the medical care and to give early indications of health changes.